Chiefs play the Patriots for the AFC Championship
By Samuel Kombrink
I have never had the honor of standing on a United States aircraft carrier to experience the sound of a jet take off, but I hear they are pretty loud. In fact, the sound on an aircraft carrier is about 140 decibels. Kansas City fans are very proud of the fact that Arrowhead stadium holds the world record for the loudest outdoor stadium in the world, at 142.2 decibels. A record that coincidentally was set the last time the New England Patriots came to town.
It has been five years since the Kansas City Chiefs showed Tom Brady the bench for the only time in his career. That’s right, Brady threw for 159 yards, went 14 of 23, while throwing one Touchdown, and throwing two interceptions, boasting a QBR (Quarterback Rating) of 20.5. The Chiefs won that game 41-14. The noise got to Tom Brady then, and it will get to him once again.
The Chiefs might not be able to outsmart New England, but they sure can outplay them.
Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick is one the brightest minds the NFL has ever seen, and he likes to take away your number one option. The last time these teams played it was Week 6, and the Patriots could not stop the big plays to Tyreek Hill. Hill had seven receptions for 142 yards and three
TD’s. According to Pro Football Focus, the Patriots paired their best cornerback on Sammy Watkins, and tried to double-cover Hill. For this game, New England will not be able to contain everybody in a passing game that includes Hill, Watkins, and Travis Kelce. As for the running game, they don’t even know what Damien Williams and company are capable of.
The Chief’s defense is currently the number one defense in the postseason, allowing the least amount of points so far, at 13. The defense will need to get off to a strong start like they did against the Colts last week. The goal is to keep Brady off the field, and apply pressure. This Chief’s defensive line in the postseason has been able to do that. And, if they can collapse the pocket, Dee Ford has the speed to get to Brady before he gets the ball out of his hands.
As for the Chiefs Kingdom, “It’s never too cold for Chiefs fans. They’ll be there. That’s the great thing about the sea of red, they’re loud and they show up all the time. They’ll be ready for it.” That’s what Andy Reid had to say, when asked if the cold will affect the fans. I had the opportunity to attend the last game against Indianapolis, and I can tell you it was the loudest Chiefs game I have ever been a part of. I have no worries that the Chiefs Kingdom will show up, and loudly make their presence known as they support the team in the biggest game in Arrowhead history.
I believe that the defense will show up early, and we should expect Patrick Mahomes to keep up with Tom Brady. I predict that The Kansas City Chiefs will take down the Patriots, 31- 24 on Sunday. I have the distinct feeling that this Chiefs team wants to bring the Lamar Hunt AFC Championship trophy home to Kansas City, as well as a Super Bowl victory more than
anybody else.